Sunday's New York Times puzzle solved: February 18, 2017

My time: 22:52, not too shabby!

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Elizabeth Long gives us a puzzle that's a real NAME DROPPER.  That is, several Across entries are phrases with names hidden inside, but the name part is "dropped," becoming a Down clue.  The letters left in the original phrase are clued in the Across literally to make a joke, while the Down part is clued as "with XX Across," and then a straightforward clue for the entire phrase.

For example.  "Is able to translate what was heard on the wall?" is SPEAKS FLY.  But hanging off the F is FRANK, and the Down clue reads, "with 30 Across, is blunt," and that makes SPEAKS F/RANK/LY.  "Mattress tester's compensation?" is SLUMBER PAY.  But hanging off the A is ART, and the Down clue for that is "with 55 Across, big sleepover," and that's SLUMBER PA/RT/Y. 

Last one.  "Dress code requirement for the Puritans?" is PRIM COLORS, ha ha.  Hanging off the M is MARY, and the clue for that is "with 77 Across, red, blue and yellow," which are of course PRIM/ARY/ COLORS.